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Bubba Wallace NASCAR Noose Controversy

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BUBBA WALLACE World Wide Technology PETTY RIQHARD BEST RACE CARD DRIVER OF ALL TIME NASCA Oarco
BREAKING: Bubba Wallace finds burnt cross in his garage stall
THIS JUST IN: Someone left KKK hoods next to the water cooler in @BubbaWallace's garage
VFOX NEWS Watch TV NASCAR . Published 8 mins ago FBI: Noose found in Bubba Wallace's NASCAR garage was there since last year By Gary Gastelu | Fox News f SOME RACIST PUTA NOOSE ON MY ZIPPER II
I just found this noose in my garage! Someone is trying to intimidate me into not supporting Bubba Wallace. GIO
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Overview

Bubba Wallace NASCAR Noose Controversy, sometimes called Noosegate, refers to the controversy surrounding NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace after a noose was allegedly discovered by a member of his team in his stall at Talladega Superspeedway in late June 2020. After news broke of the discovery, an FBI investigation was launched and ultimately determined that it was a garage door pull rope and that no hate crime was committed. The findings resulted in a wave of backlash against both NASCAR and Wallace, as well as many defending Wallace and commending him for speaking out.

Background

On June 21st, 2020, NASCAR announced that a noose was found in Bubba Wallace’s garage at the Talladega Superspeedway by a member of the Richard Petty Motorsports team, who then notified an official in accordance with standard protocols. In a statement, NASCAR said, “We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.”

NASCAR Statement: Late Sunday afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of the 43 team. We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport. As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all. INASCAR

Later that night, Bubba Wallace posted to his social media with a statement regarding the noose’s discovery on Twitter,[1] receiving over 251,000 likes and 44,200 retweets (seen below).

Today's despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism. Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and team members in the garage. Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone. Nothing is more important and we will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to Ime "They are just trying to scare you." This will spread hate. As my mother told me today, not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.

Developments

FBI Investigation and Findings

On June 22nd, 2020, the FBI announced that it would investigate the incident alongside NASCAR officials. The following day on June 23rd, 2020, FBI investigators said that the noose discovered in Wallace’s stall had been there since October 2019 and that no crime was committed. U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent Johnnie Sharp, Jr. stated, "Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week."

On June 23rd, 2020, NASCAR released a statement about the investigation’s conclusion on Twitter[2] (shown below), noting that what was found was a “garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose. The tweet received over 25,700 likes and 14,300 retweets.

NASCAR Statement: The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime. The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall. This was obviously well before the 43 team's arrival and garage assignment. We appreciate the FBI's quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing. INASCAR

On June 23rd, 2020, Wallace was interviewed by Don Lemon on CNN about the incident, where he stated that while he never personally saw the noose, he was initially reacting to what NASCAR officials told him. After seeing images later on following the conclusion of the investigation, Wallace said, “It was a noose. Whether tied in 2019, or whatever, it was a noose. So, it wasn't directed at me, but somebody tied a noose.”

Online Reactions

After the findings of the FBI investigation were released, many online began debating over the controversy, with a mixture of supporters and detractors of Wallace. On Twitter, skeptics began using the hashtags #NOOSECAR and #Noosegate to decry Wallace for creating an alleged hoax, with many posting messages claiming that he should apologize for the controversy. One such post was tweeted by Twitter[3] user TimRunsHisMouth on June 23rd, 2020 (seen below), receiving over 36,400 likes and 9,500 retweets.

Tim Young O @TimRunsHisMouth NASCAR owes its fans an apology for Jussie Smollett part 2.

On June 24th, 2020, Twitter[4] user Jemele Hill tweeted a message of support for Wallace (shown below), attempting to explain the incident, receiving over 36,500 likes and 9,000 retweets.

Jemele Hill @jemelehill I swear I'm not going to spend this day explaining to people that a NASCAR official was the one who found the noose, reported it and then NASCAR released a public statement. It wasn't the media or Bubba Wallace.

Several examples of users relating Wallace to Jussie Smollett also appeared online shortly after. One such example was tweeted by Twitter[5] user alexpinoy_vegas on June 24th, 2020 (seen below), receiving 478 likes and 122 retweets. Twitter[6] user jeff_gluck responded to these comparisons on June 23rd, 2020, stating, “I’ll say this one time: Absolutely NOT a Jussie Smollett situation. Do not blame Bubba Wallace. He never saw it and wasn’t the one to report it. He was TOLD about it by NASCAR and reacted like anyone else would,” which was liked nearly 12,000 times.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT BUBBA WALLACE HOAX BROTHERS OYSTRU

Memes referencing the incident also began appearing in the following days, with many people posting examples of themselves finding common household items and claiming that they were racist in nature. Facebook[7] user Mark Dice uploaded one such example depicting an extension cord (shown below), receiving over 18,000 likes, 3,900 shares and 1,500 comments.

I just found this noose in my garage! Someone is trying to intimidate me into not supporting Bubba Wallace. GIO

Bubba Wallace Reaction

On June 24th, 2020, Bubba Wallace posted a statement after the conclusion of the FBI investigation to his Twitter[8] account while recapping the events of the previous days. The tweet (seen below) received over 27,200 likes and 4,600 retweets.

It's been an emotional few days. First off, I want to say how relieved I am that the investigation revealed that this wasn't what we feared it was. I want to thank my team, NASCAR and the FBI for acting swiftly and treating this as a real threat. I think we'll gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been. Make no mistake, though some will try, this should not detract from the show of unity we had on Monday, and the progress we've made as a sport to be a more welcoming environment for all.

Search Interest

External References

[1] Twitter – BubbaWallace

[2] Twitter – NASCAR

[3] Twitter – TimRunsHisMouth

[4] Twitter – jemelehill

[5] Twitter – alexpinoy vegas

[6] Twitter – jeff gluck

[7] Facebook – Mark Dice

[8] Twitter – BubbaWallace

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Bubba Wallace Noose Controversy NASCAR Noosegate NOOSECAR hoax

Bubba Wallace NASCAR Noose Controversy

Updated Jun 25, 2020 at 07:09AM EDT by andcallmeshirley.

Added Jun 24, 2020 at 02:07PM EDT by Zach.

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Overview

Bubba Wallace NASCAR Noose Controversy, sometimes called Noosegate, refers to the controversy surrounding NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace after a noose was allegedly discovered by a member of his team in his stall at Talladega Superspeedway in late June 2020. After news broke of the discovery, an FBI investigation was launched and ultimately determined that it was a garage door pull rope and that no hate crime was committed. The findings resulted in a wave of backlash against both NASCAR and Wallace, as well as many defending Wallace and commending him for speaking out.

Background

On June 21st, 2020, NASCAR announced that a noose was found in Bubba Wallace’s garage at the Talladega Superspeedway by a member of the Richard Petty Motorsports team, who then notified an official in accordance with standard protocols. In a statement, NASCAR said, “We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.”


NASCAR Statement: Late Sunday afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of the 43 team. We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport. As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all. INASCAR

Later that night, Bubba Wallace posted to his social media with a statement regarding the noose’s discovery on Twitter,[1] receiving over 251,000 likes and 44,200 retweets (seen below).


Today's despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism. Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and team members in the garage. Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone. Nothing is more important and we will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to Ime "They are just trying to scare you." This will spread hate. As my mother told me today, not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.

Developments

FBI Investigation and Findings

On June 22nd, 2020, the FBI announced that it would investigate the incident alongside NASCAR officials. The following day on June 23rd, 2020, FBI investigators said that the noose discovered in Wallace’s stall had been there since October 2019 and that no crime was committed. U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent Johnnie Sharp, Jr. stated, "Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week."

On June 23rd, 2020, NASCAR released a statement about the investigation’s conclusion on Twitter[2] (shown below), noting that what was found was a “garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose. The tweet received over 25,700 likes and 14,300 retweets.


NASCAR Statement: The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime. The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall. This was obviously well before the 43 team's arrival and garage assignment. We appreciate the FBI's quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing. INASCAR

On June 23rd, 2020, Wallace was interviewed by Don Lemon on CNN about the incident, where he stated that while he never personally saw the noose, he was initially reacting to what NASCAR officials told him. After seeing images later on following the conclusion of the investigation, Wallace said, “It was a noose. Whether tied in 2019, or whatever, it was a noose. So, it wasn't directed at me, but somebody tied a noose.”



Online Reactions

After the findings of the FBI investigation were released, many online began debating over the controversy, with a mixture of supporters and detractors of Wallace. On Twitter, skeptics began using the hashtags #NOOSECAR and #Noosegate to decry Wallace for creating an alleged hoax, with many posting messages claiming that he should apologize for the controversy. One such post was tweeted by Twitter[3] user TimRunsHisMouth on June 23rd, 2020 (seen below), receiving over 36,400 likes and 9,500 retweets.


Tim Young O @TimRunsHisMouth NASCAR owes its fans an apology for Jussie Smollett part 2.

On June 24th, 2020, Twitter[4] user Jemele Hill tweeted a message of support for Wallace (shown below), attempting to explain the incident, receiving over 36,500 likes and 9,000 retweets.


Jemele Hill @jemelehill I swear I'm not going to spend this day explaining to people that a NASCAR official was the one who found the noose, reported it and then NASCAR released a public statement. It wasn't the media or Bubba Wallace.

Several examples of users relating Wallace to Jussie Smollett also appeared online shortly after. One such example was tweeted by Twitter[5] user alexpinoy_vegas on June 24th, 2020 (seen below), receiving 478 likes and 122 retweets. Twitter[6] user jeff_gluck responded to these comparisons on June 23rd, 2020, stating, “I’ll say this one time: Absolutely NOT a Jussie Smollett situation. Do not blame Bubba Wallace. He never saw it and wasn’t the one to report it. He was TOLD about it by NASCAR and reacted like anyone else would,” which was liked nearly 12,000 times.


JUSSIE SMOLLETT BUBBA WALLACE HOAX BROTHERS OYSTRU

Memes referencing the incident also began appearing in the following days, with many people posting examples of themselves finding common household items and claiming that they were racist in nature. Facebook[7] user Mark Dice uploaded one such example depicting an extension cord (shown below), receiving over 18,000 likes, 3,900 shares and 1,500 comments.


I just found this noose in my garage! Someone is trying to intimidate me into not supporting Bubba Wallace. GIO

Bubba Wallace Reaction

On June 24th, 2020, Bubba Wallace posted a statement after the conclusion of the FBI investigation to his Twitter[8] account while recapping the events of the previous days. The tweet (seen below) received over 27,200 likes and 4,600 retweets.


It's been an emotional few days. First off, I want to say how relieved I am that the investigation revealed that this wasn't what we feared it was. I want to thank my team, NASCAR and the FBI for acting swiftly and treating this as a real threat. I think we'll gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been. Make no mistake, though some will try, this should not detract from the show of unity we had on Monday, and the progress we've made as a sport to be a more welcoming environment for all.

Search Interest

External References

[1] Twitter – BubbaWallace

[2] Twitter – NASCAR

[3] Twitter – TimRunsHisMouth

[4] Twitter – jemelehill

[5] Twitter – alexpinoy vegas

[6] Twitter – jeff gluck

[7] Facebook – Mark Dice

[8] Twitter – BubbaWallace

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